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Dietary Habits and Nutritional Status of Different Population Groups in Relation to Lifestyle Factors and Nutritional Knowledge

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A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutrition and Public Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (23 June 2023) | Viewed by 14591

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Barbara Pietruszka

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Guest Editor

Department of Human Nutrition, Warsaw University of Life Sciences-SGGW, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
Interests: human nutrition; nutritional epidemiology; dietary habits; nutritional status; diet; aging
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Agata Wawrzyniak

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Guest Editor

Department of Human Nutrition, Institute of Human Nutrition Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences-SGGW, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
Interests: human nutrition; dietetics; nutritional knowledge; dietary habits; nutritional status; physical activity

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce a Special Issue of Nutrients entitled “Dietary Habits and Nutritional Status of Different Population Groups in Relation to Lifestyle Factors and Nutritional Knowledge”.

A balanced diet is one of the most important factors in the human health status. It is one of the factors that can help people to live longer with a better quality of life. Inadequate nutrition can increase the risk of non-communicable diseases in all age population groups. Statistics indicate that such diseases are responsible for about 80% of premature deaths because of cardiovascular diseases, followed by cancers, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes.

Due to the occurrence of numerous nutritional irregularities in the diet of people from various population groups, it seems advisable to undertake research to verify the impact of several factors on the diet and dietary habits. Factors currently considered are related to lifestyle (physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, use of other stimulants, etc.), as well as eating behavior and nutritional knowledge.

Knowledge regarding the degree of implementation of current dietary and lifestyle recommendations in various groups of a healthy population can detect possible mistakes in this area and prevent abnormalities in nutritional status.

Literature:

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/noncommunicable-diseases

Prof. Dr. Barbara Pietruszka
Prof. Dr. Agata Wawrzyniak
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

diet
dietary habits
nutrition
nutritional status
nutritional knowledge
lifestyle
physical activity
healthy people

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Editorial

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3 pages, 202 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Dietary Habits and Nutritional Status of Different Population Groups in Relation to Lifestyle Factors and Nutritional Knowledge

by Agata Wawrzyniak and Barbara Pietruszka

Nutrients 2023, 15(21), 4609; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15214609 - 30 Oct 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1442

Abstract

Proper nutrition and a balanced diet are factors that influence the growth and development of children and adolescents, as well as body weight and health throughout life [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dietary Habits and Nutritional Status of Different Population Groups in Relation to Lifestyle Factors and Nutritional Knowledge)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

22 pages, 369 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparison of the Health Status of Vegetarians and Omnivores Based on Biochemical Blood Tests, Body Composition Analysis and Quality of Nutrition

by Paulina Jedut, Paweł Glibowski and Michał Skrzypek

Nutrients 2023, 15(13), 3038; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15133038 - 5 Jul 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3751

Abstract

Many vegetarians are motivated by the health aspect of starting a plant-based diet. This diet can offer many health benefits. The study aimed to check whether people on a vegetarian diet are in good health, have a good nutritional intake, and follow the principles of healthy eating compared with omnivores. Twenty-two vegetarians on a vegetarian diet for more than five years and 22 omnivores aged 18–45 were interviewed. Each of them was given a food questionnaire, body composition analysis (BIA), and biochemical blood analysis, and their 7-day diet was analyzed. Polish vegetarians exhibit similar health statuses and tend towards better health than omnivores. They have an adequate body composition. Biochemical blood analysis showed no significant differences in blood parameters between vegetarians and omnivores, despite specific deficiencies such as vitamin B₁₂, vitamin D and elevated homocysteine levels in vegetarians. They have a better nutritional status and follow good dietary principles. However, they were more likely to consume alcohol, add salt to their meals and sweeten hot drinks. In addition, the lifestyle of vegetarians can be described as healthier, as they are more likely to engage in leisure-time physical activity and get enough sleep. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dietary Habits and Nutritional Status of Different Population Groups in Relation to Lifestyle Factors and Nutritional Knowledge)

15 pages, 262 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Knowing Is Not Doing: A Qualitative Study of Parental Views on Family Beverage Choice

by Chelsea M. Newman, Jamie Zoellner, Marlene B. Schwartz, Joseph Peña, Kimberly D. Wiseman, Joseph A. Skelton, Tiffany M. Shin and Kristina H. Lewis

Nutrients 2023, 15(12), 2665; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15122665 - 8 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1593

Abstract

Objective: Sugary drink consumption is associated with adverse health outcomes in children, highlighting the need for scalable family interventions that address barriers to water consumption. To inform development of a scalable, health-care-system-based intervention targeting family beverage choice, a formative qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with parents whose children were identified as over-consuming sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) and/or fruit juice (FJ). The first goal of these interviews was to understand, in a diverse real-world patient population, what parents viewed as the primary drivers of their family’s beverage choices, and explore how these drivers might need to be addressed in order to make changes to beverage consumption. A second goal was to explore parental preferences for planned intervention components. An exploratory goal of the interviews was to examine whether knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs around family beverage choice differed across racial and ethnic groups in this sample. Design: Semi-structured phone interviews were conducted and interviews audio-recorded and transcribed. Participants: 39 parents/caregivers of children ages 1–8 who over-consumed sugary drinks as determined by screenings at pediatric visits. Phenomenon of Interest: Parents were interviewed about family beverage choices and preferences to inform development of a multi-component intervention. Analysis: Thematic analysis was performed, including comparison of themes across racial/ethnic groups. Results: Parents expressed that sugary drinks were unhealthy and water was a better alternative. Most were familiar with the health consequences of excess sugar consumption. They identified many reasons why sugary drinks are chosen over water despite this knowledge. One common reason was concern about tap water safety. Few differences were noted across racial and ethnic groups in our sample. Parents were enthusiastic about a technology-based intervention to be delivered through their child’s doctor’s office. Conclusions and Implications: Knowledge is not enough to change behavior. Beverage interventions need to be easy to access, make water more appealing, and elevate beverage choice above the “white noise” of everyday life. Delivering an intervention in a clinical setting could provide an extra level of care, while technology would reduce the amount of live contact and decrease the burden for clinicians and parents. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dietary Habits and Nutritional Status of Different Population Groups in Relation to Lifestyle Factors and Nutritional Knowledge)

13 pages, 469 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Examining Nutrition Knowledge, Skills, and Eating Behaviours in People with Severe Mental Illness: A Cross-Sectional Comparison among Psychiatric Inpatients, Outpatients, and Healthy Adults

by Sonja Mötteli, Barbora Provaznikova, Stefan Vetter, Matthias Jäger, Erich Seifritz and Florian Hotzy

Nutrients 2023, 15(9), 2136; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15092136 - 29 Apr 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2062

Abstract

Compared to the general population, people with severe mental illness (SMI) have an increased risk of weight gain and metabolic syndrome, but also of malnutrition, in part due to unhealthy lifestyle behaviours. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to identify barriers to healthy eating, including nutrition knowledge and skills in people with SMI. For this purpose, we compared the means of anthropometric data such as body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, and interview data on nutrition knowledge and skills, health-related variables, eating behaviours, personality, motivation, and attitudes in 65 inpatients and 67 outpatients of the Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Zurich and 64 healthy adults using ANOVA and chi-squared tests. The results showed that patients with SMI had worse nutritional status and lifestyle compared to the healthy controls, including disordered (e.g., night eating) and unhealthy (e.g., high intake of sugary foods) eating habits. However, levels of nutrition knowledge, cooking and food skills, and motivation to eat healthily were not significantly lower in the psychiatric patients than in the healthy adults and were not associated with weight change. Based on our findings, nutritional support for people with SMI is urgently needed and should include not only educational but also behavioural and long-term approaches. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dietary Habits and Nutritional Status of Different Population Groups in Relation to Lifestyle Factors and Nutritional Knowledge)

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12 pages, 315 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Association between Consumption of Ultra-Processed Foods and Sociodemographic Characteristics in Brazilian Adolescents

by Hélida Ventura Barbosa Gonçalves, Letícia Spricido Batista, Ana Laura Benevenuto de Amorim and Daniel Henrique Bandoni

Nutrients 2023, 15(9), 2027; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15092027 - 23 Apr 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1931

Abstract

Background: The consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with several negative health outcomes. Studies on adolescents have shown that this population has a high consumption of these foods, especially in high-income countries. However, there are no studies on the types of ultra-processed foods consumed. The present study evaluated secondary data from a representative sample of the National School Health Survey, the consumption of ultra-processed foods by 159,245 Brazilian adolescents. Methods: Data were collected via a self-administered questionnaire using a mobile device. A Poisson regression model was used to assess the prevalence of ultra-processed food consumption and its correlation with sociodemographic characteristics. Results: The consumption of ultra-processed foods was significant among Brazilian adolescents, and almost half of the participants reported consumption the day before. We observed that sociodemographic characteristics such as school type, race/skin color, region, municipality type, age, living with mother, living with father, and maternal education level were associated with greater or lesser consumption of ultra-processed foods. Adolescents who study in private schools, are female, white, and live in non-capital cities consume more ultra-processed foods. Conclusions: Access to in natura and minimally processed foods must be on the agenda of governments and encouraged by food and nutrition education to guarantee the right to adequate and healthy food. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dietary Habits and Nutritional Status of Different Population Groups in Relation to Lifestyle Factors and Nutritional Knowledge)

22 pages, 2076 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Food Literacy Scale: Validation through Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis in a Sample of Portuguese University Students

by Raquel P. F. Guiné, Sofia G. Florença, Graça Aparício, Ana Paula Cardoso and Manuela Ferreira

Nutrients 2023, 15(1), 166; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15010166 - 29 Dec 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2928

Abstract

Eating behaviors and healthy food choices are associated with food literacy, and they have a huge impact on one’s health status. For that reason, to increase food literacy is a way to effectively help individuals make appropriate choices that help maintain health and diminish the incidence of non-communicable diseases. The objective of this work was to test and validate a scale to assess food literacy. The validation was conducted on a sample of 924 Portuguese university students. The scale was composed of 50 items, which were submitted to exploratory and confirmatory factors analysis. The final validated scale corresponded to a second-order model with a global factor called “Food literacy”, which retained 26 items distributed by three factors: F1—literacy about the nutritional composition of foods (10 items), F2—literacy about labelling and food choices (7 items), and F3—literacy about healthy eating practices (9 items). The internal consistency of the scale is very high, with an alpha higher than 0.9, and the Pierson correlations between the three factors and the global are also higher than 0.9. In conclusion, the present scale has been validated and can therefore be utilized to measure food literacy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dietary Habits and Nutritional Status of Different Population Groups in Relation to Lifestyle Factors and Nutritional Knowledge)

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